In the Name Of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace.
Earlier the stories of Noah, Hud and Salih a.s. showed how the central core message remains the same - the worship of God alone - while the concept of who God is and the social aspects of the message is being developed slowly through each subsequent 'story'. Truly, a most beautiful story ever told. In this next section, we are introduced to a few new 'players'.
The Story of Abraham a.s. and his wife
(69-70) And, indeed, there came unto Abraham Our [heavenly] messengers, bearing a glad tiding. They bade him peace; [and] he answered, "[And upon you be] peace!" - and made haste to place before them a roasted calf. But when he saw that their hands did not reach out towards it, he deemed their conduct strange and became apprehensive of them. [But] they said: "Fear not! Behold, we are sent to the people of Lot."
(71-72) And his wife, standing [nearby], laughed [with happiness]; whereupon We gave her the glad tiding of [the birth of] Isaac and, after Isaac, of [his son] Jacob. Said she: "Oh, woe is me! Shall I bear a child, now that I am an old woman and this husband of mine is an old man? Verily, that would be strange thing indeed!"
(73) Answered [the messengers]: "Dost thou deem it strange that God should decree what He wills? The grace of God and His blessings be upon you, O people of this house! Verily, ever to be praised, sublime is He!"
When I read this 'story' of the announcement of the birth of Isaac a.s., I asked myself how this fits into the evolving story of the message. The contrast here are as follows:
1. The messengers here are angels rather than human.
2. They bring glad tidings rather than warnings.
3. For the first time, a woman is introduced in this Surah.
My thoughts on how this fits into the development of the Message is:
- It is significant that Sarah, the wife of Abraham a.s., was the one directly given the glad tiding and conversed with the angels. It showed that the message is inclusive of all - the weak, the strays (animals), the women etc.
- the concept of God being able to intervene in the natural process/laws that He has ordained in this world. The concept that "When God wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, 'Be' and it is."
- the contrast between this 'scene' and the forthcoming 'scene' of a loving husband wife relationship as compared to the aggression/abominations of the people of Sodom.
Note: I was reading earlier this month about the higher objectives of Islamic Law and one of its 'essential' objectives is the protection of the progeny. Therefore, there is an emphasis on marriage and proper conduct in marriage to protect the progeny.
The Story of Lot a.s.
(77) And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was sorely grieved on their account, seeing that it was beyond his power to shield them; and he exclaimed: "This is a woeful day!"
(78) And his people came running to him, impelled towards his house [by their desire]: for they had ever been wont to commit [such] abominations.
Said [Lot]: "O my people! [Take instead] these daughters of mine: they are purer for you [than men]! Be, then, conscious of God, and disgrace me not by [assaulting] my guests. Is there not among you even one right-minded man?"
(79) They answered: "Thou hast always known that we have no use whatever for thy daughters; and, verily, well dost thou know what we want!"
(80) Exclaimed [Lot]: "Would that I had the strength to defeat you, or that I could lean upon some mightier support!"
(81) [Whereupon the angels] said: "O Lot! Behold, we are messengers from thy Sustainer! Never shall [thy enemies] attain to thee! Depart, then, with thy household while it is yet night, and let none of you look back...
For this story, I will side step the issue of homosexuality till the end of this blog. It is an issue that I have been grappling with for many years since I met and knew friends and acquaintances who are homosexuals. For now, let us look at the text and how the message evolved...
Again, like the story of Abraham a.s. and his wife, the story of Lot does not fit into the 'formulaic' story telling of the previous prophets nor of that of Shu'ayb a.s. which is coming. Here are a people lost to their desires that they would commit such an abominable act - that of sexual assault and rape! They were demanding Lot to turn his innocent visitors over to them to gratify their base desires. The contrast of such base desires to the loving relationship of Abraham and his wife, sharing in the glad tidings of their progeny, is quite stark.
So, I ask myself if there is a link to how God's message evolves and these are my thoughts:
- God's is the mightiest of support as in Note 111 of Chapter 11 that said '...for the Prophet Muhammad, referring to this Qur'anic passage, is reported to have said, "God bestowed His grace upon Lot, for he betook himself indeed unto a mighty support!" '
- the idea of restraining from one's desires through the consciousness of God; that was the appeal of Lot to his people.
The Story of Shu'ayb a.s.
(84-86) And unto [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said: "O my people! Worship God [alone]: you have no deity other than Him; and do not give short measure and weight [in any of your dealings with men]. Behold, I see you [now] in a happy state; but, verily, I dread lest suffering befall you on a Day that will encompass [you with doom]! Hence, O my people, [always] give full measure and weight, with equity, and do not deprive people of what is rightfully theirs, and do not act wickedly on earth by spreading corruption. That which rests with God is best for you, if you but believe [in Him]! However, I am not your keeper."
(87) Said they: "O Shu'ayb! Does thy [habit of] praying compel thee to demand of us that we give up all our forefathers were wont to worship, or that we refrain from doing what we please with our possessions? Behold, [thou wouldst have us believe that] thou art indeed the only clement, the only right-minded man!"
(88-90) He answered: "O my people! What do you think? If [it be true that] I am taking my stand on a clear evidence from my Sustainer, who has vouchsafed me goodly sustenance [as a gift] from Himself - [how could I speak to you otherwise than I do]? And yet, I have no desire to do, out of opposition to you, what I am asking you not to do. I desire no more than to set things to rights in so far as it lies within my power; but the achievement of my aim depends on God alone. In Him have I placed my trust, and unto Him do I always turn! And O my people, let not [your] dissent from me drive you into sin, lest there befall you the like of what befell the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih: and [remember that] the people of Lot lived not very far from you! Hence, ask your Sustainer to forgive you your sins, and then turn towards Him in repentance - for, verily, my Sustainer is a dispenser of grace, a fount of love!"
(91) [But his people] said: "O Shu'ayb! We cannot grasp the purport of much of what thou sayest; on the other hand, behold, we do see clearly how weak thou art in our midst: and were it not for thy family, we would have most certainly stoned thee to death, considering that thou hast no power over us!"
(92-93) Said he: "O my people! Do you hold my family in greater esteem than God? - for, Him you regard as something that may be cast behind you and be forgotten! Verily, my Sustainer encompasses [with His might] all that you do! Hence, O my people, do [to me] anything that may be within your power, [while] I, behold, shall labour [in God's way]; in time you will come to know which [of us] shall be visited by suffering that will cover him with ignominy, and which [of us] is a liar. Watch, then, [for what is coming] behold, I shall watch with you!"
Here the development of the message goes another step:
- justice and equity in dealing with others goes hand in hand with the belief in God [alone].
- admonishment not to spread corruption
- sustenance is a gift from God and therefore, not one's possession per say to do as one wish
- admonishment not to follow one's ancestors blindly
- trust in God
- should learn from history for in history are signposts for those who think.
These are just some insights I gleaned in my reading of the Surah. Allah knows best if I am correct.
----------------------------------------
On Homosexuality:
My first encounter with homosexuality is, typically, in books. But then, I met a friend of a friend who was a homosexual. He was a sweet man. Since then, I have met and known several others who are just as kind and lovely. It therefore troubled me regarding the stand of the various religions, particularly in my own religion, against homosexuality. It also troubled me when I find around me people who are homophobic. To my mind, there is little engagement within the Muslim community regarding this issue...we seem to prefer burying our heads in the sand than to acknowledge that there is an issue to be resolved.
It is quite a coincidence that while I am grappling to put down my thoughts in this blog, I read a statement by Pope Francis regarding homosexuals. Let me quote them here:
Speaking to reporters on a flight back from Brazil, he reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's position that homosexual acts were sinful, but homosexual orientation was not.
"If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge them?"
Many years ago, I attended a talk in Darul Arqam in Singapore and the speaker said something similar - that there must be a separation between the act and the person. Based on my memory, he said that the person should not be ostracised but should be befriended and guided while in Islam, it is the act that is forbidden.
While we don't want to acknowledge it, but homosexuality and transgender issues have been there since time immemorial. It is interesting to note that Muslim scholars in the past have tackled the issue as this paper suggested. More than that, this paper discusses the nurture vs nature arguments put for in terms of homosexuality.
http://www.lamppostproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Islam-Homosexuality1.pdf
These are other writings from the Islamic perspective.
http://mohamedghilan.com/2013/05/06/religion-homosexuality-same-sex-marriage/
http://www.tariqramadan.com/spip.php?article10683&lang=fr
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/homosexual-wanting-to-embrace-islam-advice-from-ust-suhaib-webb/
I am still grappling with the issue...but for me, one thing is clear. People, whether they are hetero- or homo-sexuals, women or men, disabled or otherwise, which ever religion or race, should be given equal rights in society - that of the basic human rights and should be treated with respect and compassion.
I will end with a quote from the first paper I cited above:
Earlier the stories of Noah, Hud and Salih a.s. showed how the central core message remains the same - the worship of God alone - while the concept of who God is and the social aspects of the message is being developed slowly through each subsequent 'story'. Truly, a most beautiful story ever told. In this next section, we are introduced to a few new 'players'.
The Story of Abraham a.s. and his wife
(69-70) And, indeed, there came unto Abraham Our [heavenly] messengers, bearing a glad tiding. They bade him peace; [and] he answered, "[And upon you be] peace!" - and made haste to place before them a roasted calf. But when he saw that their hands did not reach out towards it, he deemed their conduct strange and became apprehensive of them. [But] they said: "Fear not! Behold, we are sent to the people of Lot."
(71-72) And his wife, standing [nearby], laughed [with happiness]; whereupon We gave her the glad tiding of [the birth of] Isaac and, after Isaac, of [his son] Jacob. Said she: "Oh, woe is me! Shall I bear a child, now that I am an old woman and this husband of mine is an old man? Verily, that would be strange thing indeed!"
(73) Answered [the messengers]: "Dost thou deem it strange that God should decree what He wills? The grace of God and His blessings be upon you, O people of this house! Verily, ever to be praised, sublime is He!"
When I read this 'story' of the announcement of the birth of Isaac a.s., I asked myself how this fits into the evolving story of the message. The contrast here are as follows:
1. The messengers here are angels rather than human.
2. They bring glad tidings rather than warnings.
3. For the first time, a woman is introduced in this Surah.
My thoughts on how this fits into the development of the Message is:
- It is significant that Sarah, the wife of Abraham a.s., was the one directly given the glad tiding and conversed with the angels. It showed that the message is inclusive of all - the weak, the strays (animals), the women etc.
- the concept of God being able to intervene in the natural process/laws that He has ordained in this world. The concept that "When God wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, 'Be' and it is."
- the contrast between this 'scene' and the forthcoming 'scene' of a loving husband wife relationship as compared to the aggression/abominations of the people of Sodom.
Note: I was reading earlier this month about the higher objectives of Islamic Law and one of its 'essential' objectives is the protection of the progeny. Therefore, there is an emphasis on marriage and proper conduct in marriage to protect the progeny.
The Story of Lot a.s.
(77) And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was sorely grieved on their account, seeing that it was beyond his power to shield them; and he exclaimed: "This is a woeful day!"
(78) And his people came running to him, impelled towards his house [by their desire]: for they had ever been wont to commit [such] abominations.
Said [Lot]: "O my people! [Take instead] these daughters of mine: they are purer for you [than men]! Be, then, conscious of God, and disgrace me not by [assaulting] my guests. Is there not among you even one right-minded man?"
(79) They answered: "Thou hast always known that we have no use whatever for thy daughters; and, verily, well dost thou know what we want!"
(80) Exclaimed [Lot]: "Would that I had the strength to defeat you, or that I could lean upon some mightier support!"
(81) [Whereupon the angels] said: "O Lot! Behold, we are messengers from thy Sustainer! Never shall [thy enemies] attain to thee! Depart, then, with thy household while it is yet night, and let none of you look back...
For this story, I will side step the issue of homosexuality till the end of this blog. It is an issue that I have been grappling with for many years since I met and knew friends and acquaintances who are homosexuals. For now, let us look at the text and how the message evolved...
Again, like the story of Abraham a.s. and his wife, the story of Lot does not fit into the 'formulaic' story telling of the previous prophets nor of that of Shu'ayb a.s. which is coming. Here are a people lost to their desires that they would commit such an abominable act - that of sexual assault and rape! They were demanding Lot to turn his innocent visitors over to them to gratify their base desires. The contrast of such base desires to the loving relationship of Abraham and his wife, sharing in the glad tidings of their progeny, is quite stark.
So, I ask myself if there is a link to how God's message evolves and these are my thoughts:
- God's is the mightiest of support as in Note 111 of Chapter 11 that said '...for the Prophet Muhammad, referring to this Qur'anic passage, is reported to have said, "God bestowed His grace upon Lot, for he betook himself indeed unto a mighty support!" '
- the idea of restraining from one's desires through the consciousness of God; that was the appeal of Lot to his people.
The Story of Shu'ayb a.s.
(84-86) And unto [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said: "O my people! Worship God [alone]: you have no deity other than Him; and do not give short measure and weight [in any of your dealings with men]. Behold, I see you [now] in a happy state; but, verily, I dread lest suffering befall you on a Day that will encompass [you with doom]! Hence, O my people, [always] give full measure and weight, with equity, and do not deprive people of what is rightfully theirs, and do not act wickedly on earth by spreading corruption. That which rests with God is best for you, if you but believe [in Him]! However, I am not your keeper."
(87) Said they: "O Shu'ayb! Does thy [habit of] praying compel thee to demand of us that we give up all our forefathers were wont to worship, or that we refrain from doing what we please with our possessions? Behold, [thou wouldst have us believe that] thou art indeed the only clement, the only right-minded man!"
(88-90) He answered: "O my people! What do you think? If [it be true that] I am taking my stand on a clear evidence from my Sustainer, who has vouchsafed me goodly sustenance [as a gift] from Himself - [how could I speak to you otherwise than I do]? And yet, I have no desire to do, out of opposition to you, what I am asking you not to do. I desire no more than to set things to rights in so far as it lies within my power; but the achievement of my aim depends on God alone. In Him have I placed my trust, and unto Him do I always turn! And O my people, let not [your] dissent from me drive you into sin, lest there befall you the like of what befell the people of Noah, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih: and [remember that] the people of Lot lived not very far from you! Hence, ask your Sustainer to forgive you your sins, and then turn towards Him in repentance - for, verily, my Sustainer is a dispenser of grace, a fount of love!"
(91) [But his people] said: "O Shu'ayb! We cannot grasp the purport of much of what thou sayest; on the other hand, behold, we do see clearly how weak thou art in our midst: and were it not for thy family, we would have most certainly stoned thee to death, considering that thou hast no power over us!"
(92-93) Said he: "O my people! Do you hold my family in greater esteem than God? - for, Him you regard as something that may be cast behind you and be forgotten! Verily, my Sustainer encompasses [with His might] all that you do! Hence, O my people, do [to me] anything that may be within your power, [while] I, behold, shall labour [in God's way]; in time you will come to know which [of us] shall be visited by suffering that will cover him with ignominy, and which [of us] is a liar. Watch, then, [for what is coming] behold, I shall watch with you!"
Here the development of the message goes another step:
- justice and equity in dealing with others goes hand in hand with the belief in God [alone].
- admonishment not to spread corruption
- sustenance is a gift from God and therefore, not one's possession per say to do as one wish
- admonishment not to follow one's ancestors blindly
- trust in God
- should learn from history for in history are signposts for those who think.
These are just some insights I gleaned in my reading of the Surah. Allah knows best if I am correct.
----------------------------------------
On Homosexuality:
My first encounter with homosexuality is, typically, in books. But then, I met a friend of a friend who was a homosexual. He was a sweet man. Since then, I have met and known several others who are just as kind and lovely. It therefore troubled me regarding the stand of the various religions, particularly in my own religion, against homosexuality. It also troubled me when I find around me people who are homophobic. To my mind, there is little engagement within the Muslim community regarding this issue...we seem to prefer burying our heads in the sand than to acknowledge that there is an issue to be resolved.
It is quite a coincidence that while I am grappling to put down my thoughts in this blog, I read a statement by Pope Francis regarding homosexuals. Let me quote them here:
Speaking to reporters on a flight back from Brazil, he reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's position that homosexual acts were sinful, but homosexual orientation was not.
"If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge them?"
"The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well," Pope Francis said in a wide-ranging 80-minute long interview with Vatican journalists.
"It says they should not be marginalised because of this but that they must be integrated into society."
Many years ago, I attended a talk in Darul Arqam in Singapore and the speaker said something similar - that there must be a separation between the act and the person. Based on my memory, he said that the person should not be ostracised but should be befriended and guided while in Islam, it is the act that is forbidden.
While we don't want to acknowledge it, but homosexuality and transgender issues have been there since time immemorial. It is interesting to note that Muslim scholars in the past have tackled the issue as this paper suggested. More than that, this paper discusses the nurture vs nature arguments put for in terms of homosexuality.
http://www.lamppostproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Islam-Homosexuality1.pdf
These are other writings from the Islamic perspective.
http://mohamedghilan.com/2013/05/06/religion-homosexuality-same-sex-marriage/
http://www.tariqramadan.com/spip.php?article10683&lang=fr
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/homosexual-wanting-to-embrace-islam-advice-from-ust-suhaib-webb/
I am still grappling with the issue...but for me, one thing is clear. People, whether they are hetero- or homo-sexuals, women or men, disabled or otherwise, which ever religion or race, should be given equal rights in society - that of the basic human rights and should be treated with respect and compassion.
I will end with a quote from the first paper I cited above:
That being so, as a Muslim who has and will continue to encounter other Muslims
struggling with homosexual thoughts and urges, it is important for the Muslim
community to approach this topic with much more empathy and less prejudgment. Our
children are now growing up in a culture where homosexual encounters and public
discourse about gay acceptance is more normative. Though we try our best to insulate
them from what we deem to be corruptive forces, there is no doubt that we won’t be
able to protect them all the time. For that reason, it is important for us to understand
homosexual psychology and the theories surrounding its genesis. It is also important to
know this information, because many of us are expected to pastor to very diverse
populations. Imams, scholars, and jurists alike have and will continue to be visited by
Muslims who seek to become whole and/or to at least figure out ways to understand
their predicament. Just as harshness with alcoholics and drug addicts can alienate and
send them deeper into their addiction, it is important that those who know we have the
capacity for an uncustomary amount of compassion to be available for our brethren,
listen with an empathetic ear, and guard their secrets so they are able to achieve a
sense of fulfillment and fullness in their lives.
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